1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a portable or permanent mixer for mixing animal feed or roughage. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an auger for use in a portable mixer. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a ribbon flighting, adapted to be attached proximate an outer peripheral edge of an auger, for cutting fibrous feed material, such as hay.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mixers for mixing animal feed or roughage, such as hay and the like, are well-known. Such mixers generally include a bin having one or more augers located within the bin for mixing the feed materials and, at the same time, conveying the feed materials from an inlet portion of the bin to a discharge outlet opening of the bin. Typically, the orientation of the augers is such that the mixed feed is conveyed to an outlet opening in the side of the bin so that the mixed feed can be discharged by continuing rotation of the augers. As set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,999, which discloses an animal feed mixing system of the type having a bin with augers, various elongated fibrous materials, such as hay or cornstalks, often present problems for traditional mixing systems. The fibrous material tends to become clogged about the auger, thus increasing the torque required by the drive assembly, coupled to the rotatably mounted auger, for driving the auger.
In order to overcome the problems associated with mixing and conveying fibrous materials, such as hay and the like, numerous attempts have been made at placing cutting blades at the outer peripheral edge of the augers In this regard, it is highly desirable to cut the elongated fibrous materials into finer pieces for both the purpose of enhancing the mixing operation, as well as reducing clogging and the amount of torque to which the rotational augers are subjected. U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,999 shows one approach in which outer edges of the auger flight include inserts having cutting edges positioned at various spaced locations. The inserts co-act with the sides of the mixer to cut and chop fibrous material. This approach, and others like it, requires substantially modifying the outer peripheral edge of an auger flighting, thereby increasing the overall complexity and expense of the auger.
Prior art devices, having cutting blades at spaced locations along the peripheral edge of an auger flight, typically utilize blades having a tooth size of around one inch (1") or larger Those prior art devices utilizing spaced teeth of one inch, or larger, have a limited number of teeth per 180.degree. of auger flighting. As a result, these prior art devices have a limited number of blade contact areas. Additionally, the utilization of large, spaced teeth tends to cause the fibrous material to load up, thereby increasing the torque loads required by the auger. In some cases, a sickle knife has been used which provides a sharper cutting edge, but tends to break because of the elongated, thin nature of the knife.
Accordingly, the need exists for a simple, inexpensive auger for cutting and mixing fibrous material. Specifically, the need exists for an auger which tends to maximize the cutting contact area about the auger flighting. The need also exists for an auger which increases the cutting action accomplished by the auger, without increasing the torque to which the auger is subjected. Additionally, the need exists for a device which may be easily retrofit onto certain existing augers. The present invention fills these and other needs, and overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.